It Must Have Been The Mistletoe
by Mertz
Summary: A warm holiday story from the DoU Voltron crew.


Happy holidays to all! Funny story. I meant to get this done last year. Got about 2/3's of the way, but didn't finish, and put it away when it was mid-January. Finally opened the file again beginning of November and realized I failed to leave myself any notes. I must be getting senile. Couldn't remember what I was going to do. So, took a couple of weeks, broke down and started playing Christmas music early to get in the mood, and this is the end result. I have no idea if this was my original thought last year, but c'est la vi.

I'd like to dedicate this story to all those ladies I met when I first started writing fanfiction and they encouraged me to keep going. I don't get to talk to all of them as much as I used to, again, such is life, but they made a huge impact on me and my writing. This is in no particular order, ladies...

CMS, Xia Cheyene, Wade Wells (now goes by ForeverWells), and Ailee Nolitari.

Love you girls! One of these days, we'll have to get the band back together.

Disclaimer: I make no claims to Voltron, Santa Claus, red-nosed reindeer, mysterious elves, smelly batmen, or any characters of various origins.

* * *

 **It Must Have Been the Mistletoe**

Her fingers move over the edges of the paper, finishing the origami bird. Just another decoration for the tree. Princess Katheryn, known to her family as Katie, ties a string to the bird then sets it aside. She takes a piece of paper to start another one but pauses when the screech from her much younger sister draws her attention. A smile flits across her face as her older brother, Malcolm, picks up their sister and holds her up so she can touch a decoration on the tree.

"Careful Ella, that's one of your mother's favorites."

"Yes, Daddy."

Katie's gaze moves to her parents, who sit together on the couch stringing popcorn. Queen Allura smiles as her father leans over to kiss her cheek then rises. He joins Katie at the table and picks up a piece of paper, "You're falling behind."

"I welcome the help."

Father and daughter work in companionable silence until the door to the family room opens.

"We have arrived! Let's get this party started!"

Katie smothers the laughter about to burst out of her as her father rolls his eyes then rises with a smile on his face to greet their guests, "Lance, about time you got here."

"Where the heck is everyone else? I thought Sven and his brood would have beaten us here at least."

Her mother rises from the sofa and hugs Lance, then his wife, Marigold. As the group converses, Katie's gaze moves to the teenager standing behind Lance with his arms crossed. Her heart flutters at the sight of Dominick McClain. Dark haired, tall and lanky like his father, Dominick has filled out over the last year, becoming more muscular. He tosses his head with practiced disdain, flipping the hair out of his eyes. Malcolm approaches him and the boys clasp hands. They move away from the adults, talking in low tones. As if he senses her regard, Dominick glances her way, their eyes locking.

Katie forces her gaze back down to the paper in front of her, her cheeks warming. A few folds later, she dares to look up. The boys are huddled in a corner of the room, engaged with some device in Dominick's hands. Strong hands with long fingers.

Her mother joins her at the table, forcing Katie to abandon her quarry. Allura takes over her father's half-finished decoration, "How's it going?"

Shrugging, Katie continues her folds. From under her lashes, she covertly watches the corner of the room. When her little sister joins them and Dominick smiles at her, envy rushes through her veins. She should join them as well. They've known each other forever. However, no matter how much Katie tries to talk herself into going over there, she doesn't rise from her seat. Finished with another bird, Katie sets it aside with a sigh.

"Arusian nickel for your thoughts?"

Katie picks up another piece of paper and starts with a fold as she thinks about it. When she can no longer hold it in, Katie lifts her head to find her mother's inquisitive blue eyes watching her. "When did you know you loved Daddy?"

Eyes that see too much study her then her mother's head turns to the boys in the corner. Facing her, she asks, "Are you asking for reason?"

The best she can do is another shrug, "Just curious."

The expression on her mother's face tells her she isn't buying it, but Allura answers anyway, "It was my first Christmas, actually."

"First Christmas?"

"Yes, you know it's not an Arusian holiday. We celebrate it in accordance with your father's Terran traditions."

Katie nods, "But, how did you know?"

Warming to the subject, Allura leans on her elbows on the table, "Oh, it was the first time he kissed me."

"What's this?"

If the floor opened and swallowed her whole at that moment, Katie would die happy. She tries to draw in air as her father sits down in another chair and looks at them expectantly.

She refuses to look at either of her parents, but can hear the humor in her mother's tone as she answers, "Katie wanted to know when I fell in love with you. I was telling her about my first Christmas."

When her father doesn't immediately answer, Katie dares to peep at him. He's ignoring her and giving her mother the evil eye. He folds his arms over his chest, "And you started with the kiss? Getting ahead of yourself aren't you?"

"No, just getting to the best part."

Her father shakes his head then turns his full attention to Katie, "It really started with me putting in the request to celebrate Christmas that year and Coran asked me a favor-"

"Hold it now!"

Lance takes the last chair, "Don't try to claim it was your idea, oh fearless one. If it wasn't for me, it never would have happened. You know damn well I suggested it."

A small voice questions, "You suggested Daddy kiss Mommy?"

Lance ignores the laughter coming out of his friends and pulls Ella onto his lap, "No poppet, I suggested we celebrate Christmas."

Enthralled now, Katie listens as Lance settles into his chair and warms to the story. "Like I said…it started when I walked into Keith's office-"

"Without bothering to knock first."

Lance ignores his friend and settles into his tale.

* * *

Man on a mission, Lance slams his hand on the button, pushes past the door, and walks into Keith's office, "Got a minute?"

"Thanks for knocking."

Ignoring him, Lance approaches the desk and takes a seat, "You need to do something."

"About what?" Keith asks without looking away from the data-pad in his hands.

"Tomorrow's Christmas, man."

"Arus doesn't celebrate Christmas, Lance."

"Doesn't mean we can't."

Keith finally sets the data-pad down, "We need to respect Arus' culture. We're guests here."

"We need some time to sit down, relax, and be thankful for what we've achieved." Lance sits on the edge of his chair and leans toward the desk, "We haven't had a break since we got here. Haven't you noticed how down Pidge and Hunk have been? It's Christmas time and we all miss our families. Why can't we have a little celebration?"

He watches Keith settle back into his seat as he contemplates the request. His arms cross over his chest and he stares absently at the top of his desk. Readying more arguments, Keith surprises Lance when he nods, "Fine, I'll speak to Coran about it. Don't say anything to the others until after I get approval."

Satisfied, Lance rises without a by your leave and walks back out the door.

* * *

"And that's how we got to celebrate our first Christmas. If it was up to Captain Party Pooper, we never would have gotten to do anything and your parents never would have gotten together."

"Being a little melodramatic, aren't you?"

At her father's dry tone, even Katie can't prevent the smile that slips across her face.

"You know it's true. If not for me suggesting we celebrate Christmas and finding some mistletoe, you never would have gotten the cojones to kiss Allura."

"Hey, watch how you talk around my daughters."

"Sorry, Allura. But you know it's true too."

"Perhaps."

"Hey!"

Her mother leans over and kisses her father on the cheek, ignoring his glare. She can't help it, Katie starts giggling. Ella copies her and joins in.

Her father snatches Ella from Lance's lap and tickles her, "Laugh at me will you?"

Now she needs to know. Resting her elbows on the table, Katie asks, "What happened next?"

"Shut it," her father tells Lance before he can say anything, "I'll take it from here."

He settles Ella against him then says, "So later that afternoon…"

* * *

He's had these conversations before. They don't usually go well. Most planets don't give a damn about your traditions, they care about their own. To be fair, they've been treated much better here than during some of their other assignments. Keith sighs as he reaches his destination and knocks on Coran's door.

"Enter."

Keith enters the room and approaches the desk, "Permission to sit?"

Coran regards him with dancing eyes and a twitching mustache, "As I've said before, Captain, there's no need to stand on formalities when it's just the two of us."

Taking a seat, Keith gets down to business, "The men and I have a request."

"I'm listening."

"Tomorrow's Christmas on Earth. The men and I would like the day to celebrate."

Bushy eyebrows arch together, "What's Christmas?"

Keith considers how to best describe it. He settles for, "It means different things to different people. For some, it's a religious holiday. For others, a time to celebrate with friends and family."

"I see."

Keith isn't sure that he does, but presses on. "We'd like to bring in a small evergreen to decorate." At Coran's confused expression, he adds, "It's part of the tradition. We decorate a tree, sing songs, and usually swap gifts."

"Intriguing. Does it entail anything else?"

"A meal."

"What kind of meal?"

Keith shrugs, "It varies. People have different traditions. Appetizers would be fine. We aren't choosy."

"No, your group isn't." Coran sits forward in his chair, "Very well, I approve your request, but have a request of my own."

At Keith's nod, Coran continues, "You may have noticed the princess has been a bit melancholy lately. She always is this time of year as this is when she lost her family. I would appreciate it if you'd include her in your celebration and get her to smile."

Taken aback, Keith can only nod. While he noticed she's been quieter lately, he hadn't thought to include Princess Allura. The celebration wouldn't mean much to her. However, if it makes Coran happy, no problem.

"Very well. I'll speak with Nanny to ensure she provides an appropriate celebration meal and leave the rest of the details to you."

"Thank you, Coran."

Finished with their discussion, Keith rises and leaves the room. He has a lot to do and very little time to get it all done.

* * *

Leaving his bathroom, Keith approaches his dresser and takes out a thick pair of socks. Sitting on his bed, he pulls them on, then his winter boots. Giddy with anticipation, he grabs his coat and leaves the room. Finding a yawning Lance just outside his door, Keith smiles and asks, "Ready?"

"Yes, but did you have to start so early? Hell, we don't even practice this early! Couldn't you let us sleep in one day?"

"You wanted to celebrate Christmas, don't complain."

"You call this celebrating?"

Before he can reply, the door across from them opens and Pidge comes out. A complete opposite of Lance, he claps his gloved hands together, "Morning! Are we ready to go?"

"Why don't you two get Hunk up if he isn't already and I'll go get Princess."

Keith walks away without waiting for his orders to be followed. He deliberately took the chore of getting the princess. She wouldn't be awake yet and he couldn't wait to drag her out of bed. Reaching her door, he hammers on it then enters without waiting.

He finds Allura fighting with her blankets, her face obscured by her long hair, and trying to reach her light at the same time. Resisting the urge to laugh, Keith hits the main light switch near the door and rushes forward, "Time to get up, Princess! We've got a lot to do today."

"Keith, what? Am I late?" She manages to get free from her blankets and throws her hair out of her face. After a glance at her clock, she glares at him, "It's five in the morning! We don't practice until seven. Why are you waking me up now?"

"We aren't practicing, it's Christmas on Earth today. We're going to celebrate as a team. Up Allura, and dress warmly. Meet us in front of the castle in ten minutes."

Ignoring the unprincesslike name she snarls at him, Keith chuckles as he leaves the room.

* * *

"Wait? You didn't even warn Allura? Damn man, that's just plain mean."

Keith laughs at his friend, "You should have seen the expression on her face. It was classic."

Familiar with her father's antics, it doesn't surprise Katie that he woke her mother that way. The glare her mother is giving her father tells her it wasn't the last time he did that to her either. Katie decides to interrupt any comments she might make by asking, "What happened next?"

Her mother slaps her father on the arm then says, "I'll take it from here."

She turns her attention to Katie, "He gave me ten minutes to wake up, get dressed, and get downstairs. As you can imagine, I took thirty just to make a point."

Both ignore Lance's laughter as Allura continues to reminisce.

* * *

Leaving the warmth of the castle, Allura glances up at the still dark sky. The full twin moons of Arus shine down, illuminating the area. Snow flurries fall gently from the sky, one landing on her nose. Rubbing her gloved hands together to warm them, Allura stops when she spots the vehicle sitting on the drawbridge. Shaped like a rather large sleigh, it has two sets of seats in the front, and a long trailer in the back. It has to be the strangest contraption she has ever seen. In the front seat, Lance sits behind the controls, a big self-satisfied smile on his face. Beside him, Hunk sits with his big arms crossed in front of his chest and glares at Lance. On Hunk's other side sits Pidge, who waves when he spots her. Waiting impatiently beside the passenger door, stands Keith. He arches an eyebrow at her, gives a pointed look at his watch, and then glares at her.

Ignoring the heat in those dark eyes, Allura approaches, "What are we doing?"

"It's Christmas!" Pidge exclaims from the front seat.

Whatever this Christmas thing is, apparently it has the young man excited as he's practically bouncing in his seat. Allura can't help smiling when he adds, "Come on, Princess! We have to go find a tree!"

"A tree? For what?" Allura asks as she slides into the back seat.

"To decorate, of course!"

As Keith settles beside her, Allura turns her attention to him, "Why are we decorating a tree?"

She receives a humorous smile, "I'll explain as we go."

Before she can reply, the sleigh takes off like a shot, streaking down the drawbridge. Allura grabs onto Keith to steady herself and says a little prayer to the gods above that Lance doesn't kill them all.

* * *

"Hey! I'm the best pilot in the whole damn universe and you know it."

Allura arches an eyebrow at him, "You almost flipped the sleigh twice and Hunk threatened to throw you off into a snowbank if you didn't slow down."

"Actually, that was me."

Allura leans toward her husband and gives him a fond smile, "Hunk threatened him first. When Lance ignored him, you made the next threat."

"Which was no damn threat."

Keith eyes his friend, "No, it wasn't. You were about ten seconds away from being thrown out of the sleigh and not by your driving."

The sound of Katie's laughter draws Allura back into the story. "Anyway, after two hours and going through half the forest, they finally stopped near a group of evergreens."

* * *

Taking Keith's outstretched hand, Allura disembarks from the sleigh and studies the shorter trees surrounding them. This part of the forest is still recovering from the invasion. Beside them, Hunk pulls an ax from the back of the sleigh and proceeds toward the trees, with Pidge and Lance following. Keith takes her arm and leads her in the same direction.

"We're cutting down a tree, hauling it back to the castle, and decorating it?"

"Yes. It's part of the tradition."

"But why?"

Keith stops and considers the question, "You know, I don't know the whole reason behind the tradition, but it's been part of it for thousands of years. Some say Christmas started as a pagan holiday, for some, it's the birthday of Jesus, the son of a deity worshipped by many Terrans. The star we'll put on top is reminiscent of the star that shined above the stable he was born in."

Still confused, Allura replies, "Okay…"

"It'll be fun, Princess. Enjoy it."

"Heads up!"

A ball of snow slams Keith in the chest. Allura squeals as a shower of snowballs come raining down on them. Keith pulls her against his chest and turns them around, protecting her from the worst of the attack. With her nose pressed against his chest, Allura inhales Keith's scent. Forget Christmas, she could spend the rest of the day like this and be quite content. The rain of snowballs stops. Keith pulls back and gazes over his shoulder. As male laughter rings in the clearing, Keith looks back at her, his eyes shining with merriment as he says, "Let's get them!"

Allura watches Keith run at the other three, picking up snow, and throwing it as a ball at them as he goes. More snowballs fly her away, leaving Allura screaming and diving for cover behind a large evergreen. She chances a glance around the side, ducking back to avoid another snowball. From the corner of her eye, she spots movement. She turns her head in time to see Pidge working his way around a bush, trying to sneak up on her. Picking up some snow, Allura works it into a ball and moves to cut him off. Two can play at this game.

* * *

Two hours later and nodding off in the sleigh, Allura sits upright when the whole thing rocks. Whipping around in her seat, she finds the eight-foot tree the boys spent an hour arguing over on the back of the trailer. The argument hasn't ended though.

Standing with his arms crossed over his chest, Lance remarks, "Nice job, Hunk. You probably broke half the branches and the needles will all fall off before we even get back to the castle. We should go cut down the other one now. Suits me, I liked it better anyway."

Hunk's face turns red and his fists clench at his sides. Before a full fight can start, Keith interrupts, "Knock it off, Lance. Today is supposed to be a fun day."

Keith picks up a canvas and throws it at Lance, "Cover the tree and get it tied down. If all the needles fall off, it'll be on you."

Shaking her head as she listens to Lance grumble under his breath about being ordered around on Christmas, Allura twists back around in her seat. A cold wind blows across the clearing and through her coat, causing Allura to shiver.

"Cold, Princess?"

She doesn't get a chance to answer. Keith opens a hidden compartment beneath their seat, pulls out a blanket, and hands it to her. Accepting it and placing it on her lap, Allura replies, "I was fine earlier."

"We've been outside for a while now and you've been resting. You have to keep moving to stay warm." His eyes twinkle with merriment, "Or cover up."

Taking the hint, Allura opens the blanket and covers her legs and waist with it. As he moves away, her eyes follow him as they often do when his back is turned to her. She enjoys the view until he senses her gaze and looks over his shoulder. Smoothing the blanket over her lap, Allura keeps busy until she feels safe to look again. Keith has bent over to help Hunk tie down the tree, bettering her view.

* * *

"Mother…"

It isn't just her cheeks that are red with embarrassment. Katie covers her face with her hands and mumbles through her fingers, "Do you have to go into those details?"

"You asked when I knew I loved your father. This is part of it. I've always enjoyed watching him."

"Thank you, love."

Katie drops her hands to find her parents sharing a kiss. Beside them, Lance makes gagging sounds until they break apart laughing. Her mother winks at her, "Being attracted to the man helps."

Stealing a glance over her shoulder, Katie finds the boys still together. Their attention has moved away from the gadget still in Dominick's limp hands, to the group at the table and the tale being told. Malcolm nudges Dominick and both rise. They cross the room and join them, Dominick stopping behind his father.

Sensing his gaze on her, Katie fights against the temptation to look at him. Instead, she focuses on her mother, "What happened when you got back to the castle?"

* * *

Sitting on the couch with a warm cup of tea, Allura watches the boys try to get the tree to stand in some three-legged contraption Hunk has rigged. After a quick lunch, the boys all but dragged her, and the tree, into the rec room. They've spent the last half hour trying to get it to stand upright. She tries not to smile as it tilts to the side only for Keith to grab it. He shouts orders at Hunk, who kneels on the floor with his butt up in the air, and keeps messing with the contraption under the tree. She fails a moment later as Hunk grumbles incoherently as he backs out from under the tree, mumbles about getting a tool, and leaves the room.

"Why don't we just anchor it to the wall?"

Lance snorts at Pidge, "Because Nanny would kill us for it."

"Why don't you two work on the decorations?"

As good as an order, Allura watches the other two cross the room and start pulling something out of boxes. Rising, she joins them, "What can I help with?"

Pidge holds up twigs he collected in the forest, "Want to help me make snowflakes?"

Giving the twigs a dubious look, Allura sits down at the table with him, "All right, but out of sticks?"

"We're going to use glue and string."

That doesn't help with her confusion, but Allura shrugs and copies Pidge's movements. It takes her a few tries, but she manages to fashion a crude wooden snowflake. It's almost pathetic compared to the one Pidge finishes and sets aside.

Beside her, Lance pulls out a small piece of paper. Allura watches him as he folds it into a mini fan. He repeats the process multiple times then takes the glue from Pidge to work them together into a ball of mini flowers.

Delighted, Allura gasps, "Show me how to do that!"

She ignores the smug smile on his face as he shows her step by step how to create one of those flower balls. They finish them by sliding a thin ribbon through the center and tying the ends. Once finished, they grab more paper and start again. So engrossed in the crafts, she misses Hunk's return until they hear a victorious, "THERE!" from across the room.

Allura twists in her seat to find Hunk standing next to the tree and slapping Keith on the arm, "See! Told you I would get it to work."

"Good job, Hunk."

Pidge leaves the table to run over to them, "I've got the lights!"

He pulls a string of lights out of a box and holds them up for inspection, "I finished them last night."

"Good, let's get them on the tree."

Allura watches them take turns handing the lights around, circling the tree with them. When finished, Pidge plugs them into the wall and multiple colors light up. Allura rises to join them, "It's so colorful and pretty."

"Thanks Princess, but we're not done yet." Keith directs them back to the table, "Let's get those decorations made."

Allura sits back down in her chair. She works with Keith, following his instructions and folding paper into animals. He shows her a second bird, moving closer when she has issues with it, "No, Princess, like this."

Now, this is the way to spend an afternoon. For the first time in days, Allura lets herself relax. She inhales the scent that's all Keith. Outdoors mixed with something spicy. Her gaze moves to his fingers, watching them move over the paper as he creates a butterfly.

"Do you always make the decorations?"

Keith shrugs, his fingers never stopping, "On Earth, most people buy glass bulbs and other decorations." He pauses to wink at her, "They're kind of hard to find here, so we have to make them."

He goes back to folding paper. A smile forms on her face as he folds something different again. Allura watches with interest as a paper lion joins the birds and butterfly on the table. Next, he finishes a bear. Curious, Allura asks, "Where did you learn to do that?"

"I had an aunt that loved origami. She would spend hours making things out of paper." He pauses to meet her gaze and smiles, "Guess she rubbed off on me."

Allura holds his gaze. His eyes darken then move to her lips. For a moment, she wonders what would happen if she would lean into him. Would he kiss her?

"Hey Princess, look what I found while we were searching for the tree."

Keith's attention moves across the room, his eyes narrowing. The spell broken, Allura turns her head to find Lance holding up a plant with bright red berries and a red bow tied around the top. Wondering what he's up to, Allura asks, "What's that for?"

"It's mistletoe."

Allura arches an eyebrow at him, "Don't tell me you're going to eat it? It's poisonous, you know."

Beside her, Keith starts laughing.

Lance gives her a look that tells her what he thinks of her statement. He brings it closer, "No! You kiss under it."

Staring at the plant with revulsion, she asks, "Why?"

"For good luck. It's a holiday tradition!"

Given that he interrupted the kiss she wanted, Allura turns back to her half-folded bird, "I think I'll pass."

"Oh, come on!"

"Lance!"

Allura lifts her head to find Keith glaring at his friend. He changes the subject by saying, "Why don't you make yourself useful and work on the popcorn garland?"

"Popcorn garland?" Allura asks.

She receives another one of those smiles that makes her insides melt, "Yes, it's part of the decorations. We'll thread popcorn on a string with some berries for color."

It might be the strangest tradition she's ever heard of, but Allura enjoys spending the afternoon with the boys. A few hours later, she stands next to them as they hang the last of the decorations on the tree. Lance finishes settling the popcorn garland on the bottom branches then stands back. The mixture of the lights, wooden snowflakes, Lance's flower balls and all the origami animals causes Allura to exclaim, "It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen!"

The door opens behind them. Nanny enters the room pushing a cart. She pauses to examine the tree and remarks, "That's very pretty."

She leans closer to examine one of the origami animals then returns to her cart, "As requested, I've brought your dinner."

Keith's the first one at the cart, "Thanks, Nanny. We'll serve ourselves."

She nods and leaves the room. Keith sets the cart in the middle of the room, "I thought we'd enjoy a little less formal dinner."

Approaching the cart, Allura accepts a plate while examining the contents. Informal dining, indeed. Mostly finger food, she watches the boys pile mini-sandwiches, fruit, cheese, vegetable rolls, and tarts onto their plates. She waits until they're finished then places a few things on her plate. Finding them sitting in armchairs and on the couch, Allura crosses the room to sit next to Keith.

Picking up a sandwich, Allura asks, "What's next?"

"We'll sing a few carols, maybe tell some stories and relax."

"What are carols?"

His eyes twinkle, "Songs about Christmas."

"Such as?"

Lance clears his throat to get their attention, "Before we commence with the singing, I've got a little present for everyone."

As he rises and crosses the room, Keith growls, "Lance, what are you up to?"

"Nothing more than a little holiday cheer."

Lance returns with a bottle and small wine glasses on a tray, "An old friend sent this on the last supply shipment from Earth." He picks up a glass and the bottle, pours a small amount into the glass, and holds it out to Allura, "Mulled wine, a holiday favorite."

She takes it and raises it to her nose to smell.

"Lance."

Keith's tone has Allura lowering the glass.

"What?" Lance keeps his face straight, but his eyes are dancing as he finishes, "It isn't that strong."

Allura gasps as Keith reaches over and takes the wine glass from her. He sniffs the drink then takes a sip. His eyes narrow as he looks up at Lance.

"Oh come on, it isn't that strong."

"Are you planning on getting everyone drunk?"

"No, just loosening up the vocal cords."

Keith snorts, "Any more than half a glass and everyone will be snoring instead of singing."

* * *

"Some things never change. You always were a party pooper."

Katie laughs as her father glares at Lance. "With good reason. What kind of night would it have been if I'd let you get everyone drunk?"

"A happy one?"

"Not if we woke up hungover."

Before they get going, Allura clears her throat. "I believe I was telling a story here."

Lance rolls his eyes then gestures with his hand, "Onward then."

"Well…"

* * *

After one sip, Allura sets her wine glass down on the side table. No wonder Keith didn't finish the glass he took from her. Nanny could use that stuff to clean her silver.

* * *

"You too? Man, no wonder you're the perfect couple. Both a couple of party poopers."

Katie watches her parents share a look before her mother says, "I learned a long time ago not to accept any more drinks from you."

Marigold speaks up before Lance can retort, "Wish I'd learned that lesson sooner. That's how I ended up pregnant with Dominick."

The room erupts in a mixture of laughter and chatter. Lance yanks Marigold down onto his lap and kisses her soundly. Katie chances a look at Dominick. Well used to his parents' behavior, his eyes dance with laughter and he winks at her.

Feeling her cheeks warming, Katie returns her attention to her mother. "What happened next?"

"If someone is done interrupting…"

Lance waves her on as he continues kissing Marigold.

* * *

Sitting back on the couch, Allura listens to the boys singing yet another one of their carols as they stand together in front of the tree. As best as she can tell, it has something do with a reindeer with a red nose. Who has ever heard of such a thing? Nothing about it makes any sense to her, but she resolves to sit back and enjoy the singing. A moment later, she cringes. Well, at least when they don't hit wrong notes. She resists the urge to smile when Pidge sinks an elbow into Hunk.

The song ends, and another begins. This one about a silent night. How strange. She'll have to ask Keith about the lyrics later. Song after song, they keep going until Hunk and Lance have their arms wrapped around each other's back and start singing off-key about someone named Batman, who smells.

Her cheeks blush when Keith yells, "Lance! Hunk! What the hell are you thinking singing that one?"

* * *

Katie can't help it, she starts laughing, "Mother! How could you not get that one?"

"I wasn't brought up on the Terran comic legends like you were. It made absolutely no sense to me. I know birds lay eggs, but why would it be in a holiday song?"

Katie laughs until tears run down her cheeks. Across from her, even Dominick is wiping at the tears on his cheeks. She only stops when her mother gives her a playful slap on the arm and says, "Do you want to hear the rest of this or not?"

"Yes," she manages to gasp around the laughter. "Please."

* * *

After Keith calls an end to the singing, the group sits around the fire, enjoying the silence, and each other's company. It's been such a nice day. Allura understands why the guys wanted to celebrate it. Quality time with dear friends. The familiar ache returns. A pity her family never celebrated a holiday together such as this. At least, none that she remembers.

The clock above the mantle chimes the lateness of the hour. She hears Keith sigh then he rises from his seat across from her. "We better call it a night. Tomorrow, it's back to work. Practice at 0700."

"Can't our Christmas gift from you be a morning to sleep in?" Lance grouches.

Allura feels his dark gaze land on her as she tries to withhold a yawn. His lips twitch with a smile as he asks, "Do you all feel that way?"

She doesn't answer, but Hunk and Pidge join the chorus. His gaze moves away as he says, "Very well, practice at 0930 instead. See you in the morning."

Rising from her chair, Allura follows the men out of the room and down the hall. She returns wishes for good sleep and enters her bedroom. The door closes behind her with a thud and echoes in the silence of the room. Allura's gaze moves around the empty room and lands on the bed.

Images of the last time her mother tucked her in slip through her mind. She remembers the lullaby her mother hummed. The feel of her hand stroking her hair. The scent of her perfume. The feel of her lips against her cheek. Tears flood Allura's eyes. Turning around, she leaves her room and heads back down the hall.

Finding herself in front of the rec room door, Allura enters. She stares at the still lit tree and wishes for things that will never be again. Moving forward, she stops in front of the fireplace and stares into the dying embers of the fire.

Reaching forward through the blur of her tears, Allura grips the edge of the mantel for support. Something drops on the floor in front of her. Bending over, she picks it up. She recognizes the green leaves and berries. That silly plant Lance tried to hold over her head earlier.

The door to the room opens. Allura spots Keith and turns around to face the fire. She tries to wipe at the wetness on her cheeks with her free hand.

"Princess? Everything all right?"

She doesn't answer him as the tears continue to slide down her cheeks. His hand gently turns her around until she faces him. Those dark eyes that have captivated her from the day she met him stare at her with such warmth. Keith wipes at the tears still sliding down her cheek then cups it, his thumb moving back and forth.

Allura raises the hand with the mistletoe without thinking about it. Keith glances down at it then takes it from her. He holds it above her head and whispers, "Merry Christmas, Allura."

The feeling of his lips pressing against hers dissolves the ache in her chest. She doesn't notice the plant dropping to the ground as Keith wraps his arms around her and deepens the kiss.

* * *

"So you see, it was the mistletoe that brought them together," Lance declares. He jumps up and spins, "I was right!"

Allura rolls her eyes at him then smiles at her daughter, "I choose to believe it had more to do with your father's sweet kiss than a silly plant."

"Call it what you will, Allura," Lance says as he takes his seat.

Marigold slaps her husband's arm, "I call it love."

Katie smiles at the adults. She never knew it was such a sweet story. Her eyes drift up to Dominick. If only she could have her own happily ever after. He holds her gaze for a moment but turns away when her brother says something to him.

With the story over, Katie returns to making decorations for the tree. However, her mind isn't on her work. Often, her gaze drifts across the room to the boy who has grown to become a handsome young man.

* * *

Warmth fills the room as the fire roars in the grate and Christmas carols are sung. Katie ties string to the last paper ornament and stands. She crosses the room to the tree and studies it, trying to find the perfect spot for the paper lion. Someone brushes against her, not uncommon with the crowd in the room. Stepping to the side, she finds an opening and places the lion on the tree.

"Katie, you're under the mistletoe," Lance calls out from across the room. "Malcolm, you're closest!"

Her brother glances at her and calls back, "I'm not kissing my sister, gross."

He moves away, leaving Dominick next to her. Their eyes meet and hold. Warmth starts in her cheeks and moves throughout her body until even her fingertips tingle. The world and the people in it fall away. Those delightful brown eyes of his brighten and a smile forms.

"Dominick, guess you'll have to man up and get the job done."

Katie ignores the adults in the background as her mother exclaims, "Lance, leave the kids alone. Katie, honey, you don't have to kiss anyone if you don't want to."

Her breath catches in her throat and burns through her chest. Dominick leans down and slides his lips over hers. He pulls back far too soon for Katie's taste, smiles at her again, and walks away. Shaken, Katie moves away from the tree and sits down on one of the couches. She ignores her mother's inquisitive glance and stares at her fingers as they twist in her lap. Never has anything felt so…she can't even come up with the words…as a kiss from Dominick McClain.

"Time for gifts! Everyone, find a seat."

Someone sits next to her. Feeling the tingles starting again, she glances out of the corner of her eye to find Dominick beside her. Everywhere his body brushes against hers causes a flurry of sensation Katie has no idea how to deal with. She lifts her head to find him staring at her. His gaze warms and drifts back down to her lips. Taking a chance, Katie leans into him and delights in the arm that slides in behind her back and anchors her against his side.

Perhaps she'll have her own happily ever after, after all.


End file.
